Recently I read a sign in big bold letters that was posted on Facebook: “Wanted: Encouragers.” At the bottom of the sign in very small print: “We have a surplus of critics already and do not need anymore.” (The World)

The people that you and I minister to are continually bombarded by a barrage of negative remarks and hurtful words whether at work, in the family or sometime even at church.

Let’s be honest, there is nothing more enjoyable and satisfying than hearing positive uplifting words spoken to us or written in an email by those expressing gratitude, having been blessed and encouraged through our lives and ministry.

I am convinced that being an intentional encourager is one of the key elements of fruitful local church ministry. This may not come naturally to those of us who tend to be more introverted or reserved, but still God wants to use us to accomplish his will by building others up.

Thinking about the ministry of encouragement always brings to mind Barnabas, referred to as the “son of comfort.” Interestingly enough, Barnabas is not remembered as a visionary leader or a spellbinding preacher. However, everywhere he went, Barnabas encouraged those who were facing discouragement and disappointment. Here are a few attributes of an encourager.

An encourager has a giving heart.

Our first encounter with Barnabas in Acts finds him selling some property and giving the proceeds to the apostles. (Acts 4,37b NIV) It is more blessed to give than receive. True joy in life comes as we give of ourselves by making someone’s load a little lighter.

An Encourager is willing to take a risk.

Our second encounter with Barnabas finds him recommending the ministry of a new convert by the name of Saul to the Apostles in Jerusalem. It is quite understandable, that the church leaders in Jerusalem were a bit skeptical and somewhat fearful, not knowing for sure if the famous persecutor of Christians was a truly a follower of Jesus. “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him…” (Acts 9,27a NIV) An encourager is always ready to risk his or her own reputation on behalf for those whom God’s call is on. An encourager facilitates the ministry of others.

An encourager is a courage-maker

Barnabas visits the young church in Antioch: “When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” (Acts 11: 23 NIV) Thomas Jefferson once stated: “One man with courage makes a majority.”

More often than not, we do not have a quick easy answers nor a pat solution for the extenuating difficulties that many in which our church family find themselves. Still, we can speak courage into their lives just as the Lord spoke to Joshua when he stood before one his greatest life challenges. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1,9b NIV)

4. An encourager is a team player

In Acts chapters 11-15, Barnabas actively ministers along side of Paul, preaching the Gospel and planting churches in Asia Minor. Today we need far fewer Lone Rangers in ministry and more brothers and sisters who truly exemplify the African saying: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.“

5 An encourager gives a second chance.

The last time we encounter Barnabas is during a very unpleasant episode that the Bible does not attempt to smooth over. Barnabas and Paulus are making plans once again to visit the churches in Asia Minor. Paul is vehemently opposed to taking Mark along with them because he left them hanging in Pamphylia. “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. (Acts 13: 39-40 NIV)

A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.

Interestingly enough a few years later Paul requests Timothy to bring Mark to him. “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” (2 Timothy 4: 11 NIV)

Barnabas had a positive influence upon the life of Mark simply because he accepted him in spite of some limiting issues in his life. Duane Elmer writes: “As we welcome people just as they are and invite them to join us just as we are, it becomes a sacred event reflecting what Jesus did for us – providing us with a healing relationship.”

An encourager does not have to be in the limelight.

In Luke’s account in Acts in the first mission journeys, he speaks of Barnabas and Paul but later we read him only mentioning Paul first and then Barnabas. Barnabas moves to the background and Paul becomes the recognized leader. After Acts 15 we no longer read anything about Barnabas but only read about the ministry of Paul.

A true encourager allows others to take the lead in leadership without finding it necessary to be recognized or patted on the back. Seeing potential in others and encouraging them to move forward, without jealously and envy, is the mark of a Barnabas heart. Where would a Paul be without a Barnabas? Nine-tenths of education is encouragement. Without a doubt the Apostle Paul gleaned so much through the life message that Barnabas portrayed.

Dan Darling rightfully assesses that there is no alternative to encouraging the people around us:

“I’ve observed that people will often value an affirming environment over other, more tangible rewards like higher wages, time off or company perks. I’ve noticed that my kids are more desirous of my time and my approval than the neatly wrapped gifts I might put under the Christmas tree every year. Encouragement is vital. It’s the oil of human relationships. Some are better at this than others, but all of us should seek the Spirit’s help in becoming a beacon of encouragement to those around us.”

Who can you encourage today in your youth group, home group or elsewhere in the church? I am not talking about superficial hollow words that are like the morning dew that quickly disappear but truly demonstrating genuine concern through our word and deed. Everyone has a deep-seated need for affirmation and acceptance.

The wise Solomon of old reflects: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11 ESV)

My prayer is that God will help us encourage others as never before. Let’s not procrastinate today but speak courage to those we meet. “He who gives the most hope has the greatest influence.” (Kris Valleton)

May God grant you and me a generous Barnabas heart as we intentionally encourage our family and those who have been entrusted to us in the ministry.

Paul and his wife Mechthild have planted churches in Rhineland Palatinate, Saarland and Thuringia. Paul is actively involved in teaching ministry as well as assisting and coaching other churches being planted in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Paul initiated and administers the website http://www.forumgemeindebau.de/ which provides resources and inspiration for German speaking pastors and church leaders.

Paul is author of the book: German Pentecostal Church Planting 1945–2005: Implications for Intentional Mission in the 21st Century. Paul’s personal missions’ statement: “I intentionally encourage those who encourage others.”

“I have never met someone who is deeply compassionate at their core that has not experienced extreme pain in their life.” – Steve Donaldson

Right now you are possibly dealing with overwhelming challenges in local church ministry as well as in your very own family? Here is a powerful scripture that has encouraged Mechthild and me over the years as we too have gone through some very trying times in ministry and in our family:

First of all, due to God’s grace, we can freely call on him and pour out our very soul with all its anxieties and raw emotions. God is not insulted nor is he confused when we shed tears or express in words or thoughts that we have come to the end of our rope!

Peter Scazzero writes in the The Emotionally Healthy Church: “If we ignore the intensive feelings that we have, even when they are negative, we then close an open door through which we can know God. Ignoring our emotions is turning our back on reality. Listening to our emotions ushers us into reality. And reality is where we meet God.“

God is not only able to handle our emotional ups and down, but in the end provides an answer to the dilemma in which we find ourselves! The faith that is not tested is not trusted.

Secondly, the scripture above shows us that out of our great need, courage and strength will follow, as we put our trust in God. Don’t be discouraged or distraught. God is your “courage maker” in every aspect of your life! Let God surprise you, as once again he emboldens you will new visions and splendid hopes for the future. It is not unusual that after a time of great personal weakness, a time of harvest follows.

Augustine of Hippo put it so beautifully: “In my deepest wound I saw your glory, and it dazzled me.”

Please never forget that we ourselves did not seek the path we traveled through the many years of ministry. God is our inspiration and he guided us step by step to the place where we find ourselves today. Even as we are cognizant of our own leadership weaknesses and limitations, let us never lose sight of God’s divine calling on our lives. Let the words of the Apostle Paul ring loud and clear through our very being today, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6b NIV)

You are going to make it, and your “courage maker” will never let you down!

Recently, my wife Mechthild asked the rhetorical question, “Does it really matter what we preach and teach?” It seems too often our hearers behave like the “kingless” children of Israel described in Judges, when “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (17:6b KJV).

In over 35 years of ministry, I have sadly observed men and women making choices that go directly against biblical teaching as well as against all common sense. Witnessing first-hand the “spiritual train wreck” that results from sowing bad seeds is not a pleasant picture (see Gal 6:8a). I recall in my first church plant in Germany trying to ever so lovingly admonish an older brother who was known for being cantankerous and arrogant. During our come-to-Jesus meeting, he simply stated, “You remind me of Adolf Hitler in your dictatorial leadership style.” In the German context, this really hurt.

I read an article not long ago about another pastor who described different conflicts and fleshly behaviors such as church members losing their temper, being mean to other church members, and even some of his workers raging out of meetings when they did not get their way. I wonder sometimes about disgruntled church members who demonstrate a lack of respect in the body. What would happen if those same believers acted in a similar manner at work or among friends when things did not go their way?

You see, it does matter what we teach and preach! There is no alternative to proclaiming sound biblical truths in our church gatherings to men and women who live and work in a culture that is distancing itself ever further away from its Christian roots. Today, everything and everyone in our western culture seems to be tolerated and celebrated with the exception of men and women who hold to traditional biblical morality. Sad to say, we are becoming ever more familiar with being labeled homophobic, reactionary, bigots, and arch conservatives, just to mention a few terms thrown constantly around by the media. We are definitely not of this world, even though we live in the world, and we must choose to obey and honor God’s word.

There is hope for those who have strayed from the truth and fallen into sin. Paul reminds us in Galatians, “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted” (6:1 NIV). Watching out for ourselves as leaders is no easy deal, and perhaps it is a greater challenge than watching over the local church God has entrusted us with. Whenever Mechthild and I observe a “spiritual train wreck,” we acknowledge to each other our own imperfections. We are humbled to realize how often we have experienced the unfathomable grace of God in our own lives. Tim Keller expresses it well, stating, “We’re far worse than we ever imagined, and far more loved than we could ever dream.” Without God’s grace where would you and I be today? Joe McKeever points out, “That the church still exists, with all its human flaws, is proof aplenty of the grace and mercy of God.”

Being on the receiving end of God’s grace, we need not be bitter or disillusioned when unpleasant stuff happens in the local church. Nobody is perfect except the Head of the church and our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ!

Since we as leaders have been touched and transformed by the grace of God, let us do all we can in His strength to help men and women find their way back to spiritual health. It is worth noting in Galatians 6 that Paul goes on to say in a very sober manner, “for each one should carry their own load” (v.5 NIV). Each one of us is responsible for how we live and react in difficult situations. Hopefully, those we minister to will sense the pleasant fragrance of God’s grace and forgiveness in our lives.

Let us not become despondent or depressed though the challenges for local church ministry will increase as we continue to be salt and light in as a Post-Christian, or should I say Anti-Christian, culture. Again, Brother Paul’s word speaks courage into our lives today, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).

“God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him.” (James Hudson Taylor, 1832-1905)

I was born with a congenital eye problem which meant throughout school I could not see from my desk what the teacher wrote on the blackboard. To read then, as now, I place my nose closely to the page of a book to see letters and words. I found out very quickly in school how cruel children could be as they often made fun of my eye condition, calling me names like cross-eyed and sometimes hitting me simply because I was different. Growing up in the United States and knowing that you would never drive a car, was for me a very discouraging thought. I still remember, almost turning red for embarrassment, waiting in front of my college dorm to be picked up by my date who would drive us to a concert. Back in the day, usually the guy DROVE!

I am very thankful for loving Christian parents who showed me compassion but never allowed me to feel “too sorry” for myself due to my limitations. I am also very grateful for school teachers who understood my situation and went out of their way to give me special assistance.

It is amazing how God used men and women throughout the Bible as his choice servants in spite of their various limitations:

Moses had a major speech impediment;

David surely dealt with depression;

Jeremiah thought God could not use him because he was too young;

Paul pleaded to no avail that the Lord would take away his thorn in the flesh;

Timothy suffered from some kind of stomach ailment.

I vividly recall sitting in a car driving through former East Germany with two other pastors shortly after the Berlin Wall fell. At that time, we were assessing what could be done to help plant new churches in former communist Germany

One colleague in the car had a nervous twitch which made him jerk his head from time to time.

The other colleague was very hard of hearing

And of course I was blind in one eye and could hardly see out of the other.

I thought to myself back then this is hilarious! God truly has a sense of humor! All three of us today are over 60 years of age and continue to serve God zealously in various ministries.

In my estimation, Rick Warren is one of the best communicators of the Gospel living today. However, recently I was surprised to learn that Rick was born with a brain disorder that makes public speaking excruciating for him much of the time. His brain overreacts to adrenaline, causing vision to become blurry and sometimes everything goes black. Because of this disorder, he suffers with severe headaches, hot flashes and dizziness.

What about your limitations?

Rick Warren writes: “The fact is, everybody has weaknesses. And our weaknesses are multi-faceted. We have physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual weaknesses. The question is, what do you do with your weaknesses? While most people deny, defend, or excuse their weaknesses, Christian leaders can embrace them and ask God to use them! When God works through weak people, His power is shown more clearly!”

Reggie McNeal in his book, A Work of the Heart, How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders, reflects: “All leaders limp. Leaders become leaders, in part, because they are willing to wrestle with who they are, who they want become, how they can overcome some deficit in their own lives. They often need to achieve, need to be admired, even loved, need to bring order to some chaos that is within them. And almost always, these vulnerabilities are established in the leader’s family of origin, the early community that begins to shape the leader’s heart before the young child can even speaks.”

Over the years, I have learned very slowly, and sometimes quite painfully, that my limitations open a door giving opportunity for God’s amazing grace to enter my life in a more meaningful way. The men and women that we serve daily in local church ministry are constantly battling every variety of limitation and weakness. God desires that you and I help them find their way through our own personal example as “weakness overcomers.”

Rick Warren writes again: “While most people deny, defend, or excuse their weaknesses, Christian leaders can embrace them and ask God to use them! When God works through weak people, His power is shown more clearly!”

The apostle Paul sums up the topic of personal weakness so profoundly: “For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.” (2 Corinthians 13:4, KJV)

I highly recommend that you read Rick Warren’s article How to Lead (and Preach) Through Your Weaknesses

http://pastors.com/through-weaknesses/

In spite of our limitations, God’s grace is more than sufficient to help you and me thrive in the ministry that God has called us to. When we are weak then we are truly strong! “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13, NIV)

“He has achieved success, who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much.” (The first line in a poem written by Bessie Anderson Stanley in 1904)

Recently, I had the privilege of turning over another one of our church plants to a German pastor and his wife. I am very thankful for this transition and truly believe that they will take the church to the next level in terms of spiritual development and numerical growth. However, I was haunted for many days by the thought that after six years of hard work, the church should have at least twice as many members. We all know Paul’s words in our heads, but often do not take them to heart: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” (1. Cor. 3:6)

The thought that “there should be more” is not necessarily “unspiritual,” but such an attitude, when left unchecked, can cause great harm to us as pastors and leaders if we do not develop a balanced perspective in our thoughts and minds.

The “there should be more” thinking is very relative. I vividly recall sharing about our church planting ministry years ago when visiting a church in Florida. I noticed during the time of worship that the lead pastor sitting next to me seemed very unhappy and unsettled. After the service, he shared with me why he was so unhappy: “We usually run about 3,000 on a Sunday morning, and today we were right around 2,700.” I thought to myself that this kind of thinking is ridiculous, especially considering my situation, slugging it out as a church planter in post-Christian Europe. Today, however, looking back over many years of ministry, I would no longer find my colleague’s frustration as being unwarranted, because I too have experienced firsthand the “there should be more” mindset, even though my numerical expectations are on a different level.

You probably know where I am coming from! You and your dedicated team go to great lengths to plan and pray for a special church service or event, and when day X arrives, the house is half empty. Some people in your congregation have decided to go to the lake because it is a beautiful day, others needed to visit Grandma, and to top things off your worship leader is a no show because her cat had to be taken to urgent care. Ministry is so much more than the “there must be more” mindset. It all comes down to this: church ministry is touching one life at a time and allowing God to change that life.

At our last service in Bad Dürkheim mentioned above, three people were in attendance that came to the Lord through the church we planted in Saarbrücken more than 25 years earlier. The next day I received an email: “Without you and Mechthild we would not have found the way to Jesus. Through your ministry, our son is also serving God and with our other children a seed has been planted that one day will bring forth life.” Wow, this email was so encouraging!

Please do not misunderstand me; I am not against having “more” people in church! Actually I want every church to be packed out. But if we only define success in terms of numbers, we will usually come out on the short end. Several years ago I received the following email from a pastor in Germany:

“I have been deeply troubled through the subtle undercurrent of competition in our denomination, where comparisons among colleagues are often made, resulting in mistrust and suspicion. One example: We never see ‘normal pastors’ as speakers at our fellowship’s annual conference. It seems we are only allowed to hear from those who are very successful and highly innovative, leading larger churches. This sets the stage for making comparisons that often magnify our own shortcomings, which some may see as failure. Then the heart becomes weary. It seems to me there is a lack of genuine appreciation and interest for my brothers and sisters in ministry. This too is often exemplified, when you meet someone at our leadership conference for the very first time and the first question out of the gate is: ‘How large is your church?’”

When we were children some of us surely made a big deal about showing off our newest toys with the attitude, “If you have something great, you are something great.” Sad to say even for adults, this attitude is not unknown. Kevin DeYoung writes: “There is simply no Biblical teaching to indicate that church size is the measure of success.”

The Danish philosopher and theologian Sören Kierkegaard put it this way: “Comparison brings an end to happiness, that will ultimately lead to dissatisfaction.” Success for me as a worker in God’s kingdom simply means to know God’s will and then to do God’s will. I realize this is not always easy, because more often than not we are dealing with very difficult situations and less than perfect circumstances. Still we pray in faith and not by sight: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”

So what about the men and women in the ministry who are from our perspective very successful indeed? Surely they are gifted, they are very diligent in their work, and we assume that they spend large amounts of time in prayer. But when all is said and done, I would hope these choice servants would acknowledge that their success is due to God’s grace. T.D. Jakes puts it so well: “Favor isn’t fair.” God in his grace has granted you and me various gifts of his choosing to be used at the time of his choosing. The challenge is simply to be faithful with that which the Lord has entrusted us. (Luke 16:10)

“The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well; and doing well whatever you do, without a thought of fame.” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882) How fitting are these words for those of us today. From our vantage point, there will always be those who have achieved more than we ever could, yet let us diligently serve the Lord with the gifts he has bestowed on us. We should never underestimate the positive influence of our ministry touching individual lives even though you and I will probably never receive an invitation to speak at one of the well known national church conferences.

As my colleague David Barringer writes in his Blog, “don’t let comparison thinking suck the joy out of your life.” Fred Price states: “If we continue to compare ourselves with others, we are not honoring God. We are being unthankful for what God has given us.” The true standard of success and recognition is found in God’s word:

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.” (Heb. 6:10-11)

May you thrive and be nourished by God’s unique plan for your own life!

Paul

P.S. Here is the entire poem written by Bessie Anderson Stanley:

He has achieved success, who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;

Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;

Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;

Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty or failed to express it;

Who has left the world better than he found it,

Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;

Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;